Reversible oar



June 44 4949.. R. c. MOELLER REVERSIBLE OAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1948 Inventor Robert C. Mueller June 14, 1949,

R. c. MOELLER REVEBS IBLE OAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1948 Inventor WW c. Mueller Patented June 14, 1949 2,473,440 REVERSIBLE OAR Robert C. Moeller, North Tonawanda, N. Y.

Application February 24, 1948, Serial No. 10,539

4 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in cars for propelling row boats and other small water craft, and more particularly to an oar for propelling a boat forwardly while the rower is facing in a forward direction.

An important object of the invention is to provide a reversible oar in which the propelling action of the oar may be reversed to move the boat either forwardly or rearwardly by a pulling force exerted on the car handle and without necessitating a reversal of the position of the rower.

A still further object is to provide means for locking the oar in either its forward or reverse propelling position.

A still further object is to provide a device of I this character of simple and practical construction, which is efllcient and reliable in operation, strong and durable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

. ing pins holding the sections of the oar in a rigid aligned position for use in a normal manner;

Figure is a horizontal sectional view taken on t the line 5-5 ofFigure 3; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the socket for' the oarlock.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a yoke which constitutes an oarlock havin a stem 6 extending downwardly therefrom for insertion in an opening I in an oarlo-ck socket 8. The socket 8 is of substantially angle iron construction and secured in inverted position on the upper edge of the gunwale 9 of a row boat or other small water craft Ill.

The socket 8 is formed in its upper surface with a rectangular shaped recess l I in which the complementary shaped base [2 of the yoke 5 is conformably received to hold the yoke or oarlock 5 against horizontal rotation in the socket 8.

A horizontal pin 13. is supported in the upper ends of the yoke 5 and on which is pivoted a tubular lug I4 positioned between the sides of the yoke for vertical swinging movement of an annular base plate l5 positioned above the lug and integrally formed therewith.

The upper surface of the base plate I5 is formed at its central portion with a recess "5 in which is rotatably received a stem ll extending downwardly from a table designated generally at l8. The recess I6 is enlarged at its lower portion to accommodate the ends of a locking pin l9 inserted transversely of the stemv I! to lock the table in position on the base plate l5 and to provide for the horizontal rotary, movement of the table on the base plate.

The table I 8 comprises upper and lower annular plates 20 and 2| rigidly supported in spaced relation one above the other by a pair of upstanding posts 22 at diametrically opposite sides of the table. The edge of the lower plate 2l is formed with a downwardly extending flange 23 surrounding the base plate 15 .to prevent the entrance of I dirt or moisture underv the table.

The handle and paddle sections 24 and 25 are pivotally connected to each other by a vertical pin 26 inserted in aligned eyes 21 and 28 of the respective sections.

The handle section 24 is pivoted adjacent its hinged edge on a vertical pin 29 havin its ends working in radial slots 30 and 31 of the upper and lower plates 20 and respectively, of the table. The blade sectionl25'is likewise pivoted adjacent its hinged edge on a vertical pin 32 having its upper and lower ends fixed in the upper and lower plates 2!! and 2!. .Spacing washers 33 are positioned between the upper and lower plates 20 and 21 and the adjacent edges of the handle and H paddle sections ofthe car.

A pair of locking pins 34 and 35 are slidable ertically inaligned openings 36 and 3'! in the upper and lower "plates 20 and 2|, respectively,

for movement of the lower ends of the locking pins into and out of engagement with locking openings 38 in the base plate iii. The upper ends of the lockin pins 34 and 35 are connected by a cross bar 39 having a handle or knob 40 at the central portion thereof to raise and lower the locking pms.

Stop collars 4| are formed on the pins engaging the under side of the upper plate 29 to limit the upper unlocking movement of the pin, and upper and lower spring-projected ball catches 4'2 3 and 43 are carried by the pins for seating in recesses 44 in the openings 36 to hold the locking pins in either a raised or lowered position.

A locking bar 45 is carried by each of the pins 34 and 35 for movement therewith, the bars extending radially inwardly of the table I8 and formed at their inner ends with an arcuate seat 46 positioned at opposite sides of the aligned hinge eyes or bearings 2'! and of the sections of the car. The locking bar's 4t are iecessedingrooves 41 in the upper surface of the lower plate 2| when the pins 34 and 35 are moved into their lowermost position, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the hinge bearings 27 and 28 then being r-r'ee from the locking bar.

In the operation of the device, the cancer socket 8 is fixed to the guhW'aTe 9 '61 a boat and the oarlock yoke is removably positioned in the socket with the pivot pin l3 for the base plate [5 extending longitudinally so that the base plate and table 18" mounted thereon my swing vertically in a lateral direction.

The handle portion 24 "or the ears are positioned inwardly of the boat immediately 1h rom er a seat as therehi so that a person prepenihg the boat will race ioiwaidly,

The locking pins 34 and '3- a re moved downwardly to enter the openings 38 in the base plate to lock the table a ageihstroterymovem nt and the cking bars "425 are lowered into the eree'ves 11 out 'eh'gegemeht with the hinge bearings 21 and 2t.

Accordingly, a iearwa'rt pulling force n the ffand1es i24 will arse the blade serum; 25 ree'rwerhly e its pivot 32 to prop l the that reihardly, the pivot pin 29 tor the handle portion '24 working in the radial sieve so "and 31; ee that the hinge for the sections of the car will break in the mann r "as Shawn hy the "dotted lines in F ure 5 of the drawings. I

W ehit is desired to rigidly connect the handle and blade sections "of the her for use in a convehti nel manner, the itching pins -34 and 35 are raised to ree the ievrerehas ofth'e pins from the openings 38 injthe hesei let is share move the locking here "45 upward-wet apposite sides er the hingle earings 21 and 22;, whereb to lock the sections or the foa'rs against pivotal or breakihg movement t their hingedly connect d ends and the sections of the oar aretheh locked to the table [8 which is nee tbrd't'at'e on the base plate 15 during forward and backward movement of he In view of t e foregoing hescnptich taken in conjunction with the accompanying draw ngs, it is believed "that a clear uheerspehaihg er the de- 'v'i'ce will be quite "ap arent to thosefskilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingl deemed unnecessary.

It is 'to'beui'iderstood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invhti'b'n ithe seme is -susfiieptible to Certain changes ftlll-y comprehended 4 by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An oar comprising an oarlock including a stationary base plate, a table rotatably mounted on the base plate, handle and blade oar portions pivotally connected to each other and individually pivoted to the table for oppositeswinging move- :ihe'nt of said portions, and means locking the table to the base plate and also locking the portions of the oar to each other and arranged for opposite locking and unlocking movement.

2. An oar comprising an oarlock including a stationary base plate, a table rotatably mounted oh the base plate, handle and blade oar portions pivotally connected to each other and individually pivoted to the table for opposite swinging movehierit of said portions, said table and base plate having lockable engagement, and means simultane'o'usly locking the portions of the bar to the table and finioek'ing the table from the one plate.

3. A combined car and 'oarl'ock and comprising a fi-Xe'd yoke, a base plate pivoted to the yoke -for vertical swinging rnovement, a table rotatably mounted on the base plate, handle and blade oar portions pi'v'otally connected to each other and individually pivoted to the table for opposite swingihg movement of said portions, slidabl'e ieckmg pins locking the table to the base plate, and locking bars earned by the locking pine for looking the portions of the ear rigidly to each other, said locking pine andlocking bars being oppositely movable into and out of locking position.

'4. An oar comprising an cenoeh including a stationary base plate, a table rotatably mounted on the base plate, handle and blade oar portions pivotally connected to each other and individually pivoted to the table 'for opposite swinging movement of said portions, and means locking the table to the base plate and also looking the portions of the car to "each other and arranged for "opposite locking and unlocking movement, said means comprising a pair of slidable locking pins for the table and 'base plate and locking bars carried by the locking pins for locking the portions 'of the oar to each other.

ROBERT C. REFERENCES GIT-ED The following reierehlce's "are of record in the file of this patent:

ITN'ITED STATES PATENT' 's 

